Some of the original sets and props from the Postman Pat television series will go on display at Waterside Sale.
The Welcome to Greendale exhibition marks 40 years since Postman Pat and his blank and white cat first aired on national television. They will be hosted at Sale’s Waterside, home to Cosgrove Hall Films Archive.
With the support of Dreamworks, NBC Universal and the acclaimed Altrincham-based animation studio, Mackinnon & Saunders – three of the major companies behind the creation and development of Pat, Jess, Mrs Goggins and all of Greendale’s much loved inhabitants over the years – Waterside has been asked to display and archive all of the remaining original and handmade sets.
The exhibition will also include Pat’s cottage, the school, lighthouse and Pencaster Square, complete with original props.
Postman Pat was first commissioned by the BBC in 1979, with the stop motion series set in the heart of the Lake District. The first 13 episodes aired on the BBC in 1981. In 2003, Entertainment Rights and Cosgrove Hall Films team up to develop Postman Pat: Special Delivery. This stop motion series, based on Ivor Wood’s original series, reused parts of his sets but also expanded on Pat’s world to include the town of Pencaster – thus preserving the timeless quality of the show but introducing subtle changes in design to make it feel more contemporary. Cosgrove Hall Films introduced the lip-synch dialogue, seasons and an abundance of vehicles for Pat to drive back and forth from the sorting office, Greendale and Pencaster. After five years in production, Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service first aired on the BBC in 2008 and Classic Media, Dreamworks and Mackinnon & Saunders
Original props from Postman Pat will be on display at Waterside Sale
Speaking about the exhibition Peter Saunders, joint CEO of Mackinnon and Saunders said, “It is 40 years since Postman Pat appeared on the BBC. Originally created and produced by Ivor Wood, the two most recent TV series were produced by Mackinnon & Saunders in their Altrincham studios. After production was completed, the beautiful miniature sets and props were carefully packed and moved to a storage facility in Stalybridge, but the iconic village of Greendale was served notice this year – no longer required for filming, all the models were to be destroyed unless a new home could be found for them. When Mackinnon & Saunders became aware of the perilous situation, I contacted the Cosgrove Hall Films Archive at Waterside to ask whether their animation archive could come to Greendale’s rescue. The teams at Waterside and Trafford Council immediately offered to help and, thanks to their hard work and dedication, many of the models featured in this uniquely British piece of popular culture have been saved for future generations to enjoy.”
When does Welcome to Greendale run at Sale Waterside Arts?
Welcome to Greendale, the Postman Pat exhibition, runs at the Lauriston Gallery in Sale Waterside Arts from 20 NOvember 2021 until 8 January 2022. Free entry.
